White Christmas Likely In Atlanta

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Well it’s looking like Atlanta may be getting one!

A strong storm system churning its way through the desert Southwest early Thursday will bring metro Atlanta a good chance for a white Christmas, with accumulating snow possible as far south as the Columbus and Macon areas, forecasters said.

While the ground probably won’t be white when you wake up on Christmas, a rain-snow mix expected to begin during the morning will likely change over to all snow later in the day, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

The snow will likely continue across metro Atlanta through Saturday night before ending Sunday morning.

In a statement issued early Thursday, the National Weather Service predicted that 1 to 3 inches of snow could fall across metro Atlanta, with accumulations of an inch or less south of the city.

The Weather Service said there is “still a lot of uncertainty” about the storm’s projected path. “Any deviation to the north or south could mean the difference between rain or snow, as well as total amounts.”

The Weather Service warned that “anyone planning travel across north and central Georgia or the Southeast over the Christmas weekend should keep abreast to the latest forecast on this developing winter storm system.”

If the current forecast holds, it’ll be the first snow to fall on Christmas in Atlanta since a trace in 1993. The last time there was measurable snow on Christmas Day was more than a century earlier, in 1882, when .3 inch accumulated.